Monday, September 01, 2008

Loebsack says leadership on board for flood relief

Loebsack says leadership on board for flood relief

Dave Loebsack is spending a little time on political tasks, attending Labor Day picnics Monday and the Democratic convention last week. But Loebsack said the flood in eastern Iowa made his convention trip a short one.

"I didn't get out to Denver until Tuesday afternoon" because of flood work in the district, Loebsack told Iowa Independent, "and even when I was out there I was mostly talking about the flood." He said Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer met with Iowans in Denver and are now fully supportive of the relief package.

Dave Loebsack is spending a little time on political tasks, attending Labor Day picnics Monday and the Democratic convention last week. But Loebsack said the flood in eastern Iowa made his convention trip a short one.

"I didn't get out to Denver until Tuesday afternoon" because of flood work in the district, Loebsack told Iowa Independent, "and even when I was out there I was mostly talking about the flood." He said Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer met with Iowans in Denver and are now fully supportive of the relief package.

Before a partisan union crowd in Iowa City, Loebsack had strong words for the Republican ticker. "I think Obama has it right in his speech" at the convention, said Loebsack. "It's not that John McCain doesn't care, but he really is pretty clueless about a lot of these things. He doesn't see the world the way we see it."

"We've got to have laws that help people become the best they can become," said Loebsack. "Barack Obama gets that, and John McCain doesn't. Joe Biden gets it, and Sarah Palin doesn't."

Loebsack repeated predictions he has made earlier that Democrats can expect gains in the House and a five to six seat gain in the Senate. "We've passed bill after bill after bill which will help working people, including the Employee Free Choice Act, which passed the House," said Loebsack. The labor-supported bill failed in the Senate and would have faced a certain veto by President Bush. "The problem is who the President is. If we have enough of a majority, some Republicans will come on board -- but only if Barack Obama is President of the United States."